Officials set machines for Election Day

With May's primaries under their belts, election officials in both Wayne and Duplin counties have had their test runs with their new election equipment. Now, both say they are ready for November's elections.

Set for Nov. 7, the general election will mark only the second time the new machines will be put to the test by voters.

"We had nothing in the county for people that were visually or physically impaired," Sims said.

Neither did Duplin County.

Now, both are using machines that, with the use of a special keypad and, if necessary, a stylus or puffer, allow almost anybody to vote unassisted.

That, Sims said, makes the transition to the new equipment worth the trouble.

"I'm not going to say I was happy to go over to new equipment, but it was the right thing to do. To work with, or speak to somebody who can now, for the first time, vote a secret ballot by themselves ... that's a wonderful thing," he said.

With less than a month to go before Election Day, all that's left to do is make sure everything is still working properly.

Both counties are in the process of testing their machines.

"We do everything we can to try and tear them up before the election gets here," Sims said. "Our biggest thing, though, is making sure we have backup plans in place."

Southerland is confident things will once again run smoothly -- even with an expected increase in use.

"You're going to see people vote in this election who didn't vote in the primary and you're going see that for the next two years until the presidential election," she said. "You're always going to have a learning curve, but we don't forsee any problems.